The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is a special time of year, albeit stressful. Adding more to-do items on the list of life duties can seem overwhelming. Coupled with demands of family members and the ho-ho-ho’s can turn into the ho-hum’s. Trying to please the kids, your parents and your extended family with holiday activities can prove to be a daunting task. Why not take a different approach this year? Instead of cramming the calendar with different activities, why not find things that everyone will enjoy, spanning the intergenerational gap?
Senior Planning Services, a Santa Barbara, CA based geriatric care management firm, recommends slowing down and sticking to a little acronym that will help you remember the real meaning behind this busy time of year: T.I.M.E. Senior Planning Services offers the following tips and activity ideas that will get the whole family enjoying the holidays together and spending time together:
T is for Traditions – There is nothing more enjoyable for the elder members of the family than sharing family traditions. Every family has special routines and activities that they do together and it is important that they be able to share these with the younger generations of the family. Get everyone together to share in your family traditions. Here are some ideas:
- Set up a Christmas tree or menorah. Talk about the history behind some of the decorations that have been handed down through the years.
- Take a drive to look at holiday lights. If possible visit a former neighborhood or other area with special meaning to grandma or grandpa. If you plan to stop along the way, consider factors such as parking and accessibility to make the trip enjoyable for everyone.
- Plan an evening at home reminiscing with family movies or videos, or playing favorite board games.
I is for Involve Everyone – Sit down and talk with everyone this year about which traditions your family loves the most. If you get buy-in from everyone from the oldest to the youngest in the family, everyone will feel like they have had a say and will be much more involved. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Offer to get the whole family together to decorating your elderly relative’s house for the holidays. Although many seniors would like to have a Christmas tree or lights on their house to enjoy for the holidays, they don’t due to the physical limitations of their body. Don’t forget to also help take down decorations after the holidays.
- Join other families in the neighborhood for a “sing in” of favorite Christmas songs. Singing is something in which everyone can participate regardless of age. Invite each family to bring a food treat to share with others.
- Make a holiday game out of sharing family history. Have everyone write questions down that they would like to ask one about family history and put the questions in a jar. Examples could be “What did Grandma do without television,” or “What is everyone’s favorite childhood memory?” Turning “reminiscing” into a game gets children more involved.
M is for Make Something – There is nothing more interactive that doing projects together. When centered around the holidays, making, baking and crafting will surely bring the generations closer. Try these to get you started:
- Ask family members (young and old) to share some of their favorite recipes. Plan a time to compile the recipes, then create a “family cookbook,” and make copies to share.
- Put together a family photo album with existing photos. For a more interactive experience, gather everyone together to take some current photos and let everyone choose their favorites for the album. A photo album is a treasured possession for a senior to share with his or her friends long after the holidays have ended.
- Create a family calendar. Interview family members from the youngest to oldest, and find out the important dates in their lives. Create a calendar with handmade pictures or photos and fill in the special dates. This can be done on the computer, by hand or with a calendar kit.
E is for Enjoy Events – Making planned outings during the holidays can alleviate a lonely time of year for older family members. Look at your local community calendar and choose some local events that would be great family outings for everyone to enjoy such as parades, holiday craft fairs, plays/musicals, sing-a-longs or symphony events.
About the Author: Suzanne McNeely, MSW, NCG, CLPF, CMC, is president and founder of Senior Planning Services (SPS) in Santa Barbara, CA. She began SPS in 1989 after many years of working in social services and hospital administration. Suzanne designed SPS to help advocate and provide guidance in all aspects of daily life for the elderly, including psychological, physical, financial and legal issues. She can be reached at smcneely@seniorplanningservices.com.
